Spatial, not Social Distancing: Friday’s video-conferenced conversation with Kip Hollister and friends, Connection during Crisis, was an  opportunity for everyone on the call to get “raw and real.”   Before delving in, she proposed we quickly replace the notion of social distancing with SPATIAL DISTANCING  since socially we all need each other and doing so in video-conference format met a critical need in each person to be together.

Check in with yourself: Kip opened the discussion by recounting the reaction she had from her team at the weekly company meeting.  She learned quickly that from one week to the next, feelings and fears changed.  Before jumping to any specific actions, such as a contest she had hoped to launch, she realized that what was true the previous week no longer held true.  The first lesson she learned for leading in this environment was to encourage each person to ask at regular intervals “HOW AM I BEING,” understand what fear looks like for each person, and meet each person where they are.

Build new muscle: As the conversation opened up to the group, each person contributed their tips for strengthening their ability to lead.  Being available and accessible to their teams was at the top of the list along with making room for the raw emotions and confronting fears.   Personal growth was also occurring by visualizing the future and finding the psychological safe-zone to start to think differently and more creatively about all aspects of life and work.   The void can be filled by learning something new, trying something new in a forgiving environment where new ways of thinking are welcomed to help solve problems.

The point was made that work and life have become fully blended – so going forward, we have to think holistically about the new framework from which we operate.  Old habits have to be bred out of us and “new muscle” has to be built around new ones.  Is it the 4-day work week?  Is it being more engaged in your children’s education? Is it designing a new business model for your event company?  Now is the time to think about what will be needed to pivot, ask questions, and try new approaches.

This time matters: The point was made that we have been forced into stillness where being takes precedence over doing.  By nature, leaders are “doers” so it’s a new place to be. We simply are not allowed to “do” so many things that we would like to.   But in this lies a great opportunity.  It’s a “crucible” moment to capture your story.  How do you want to remember this time? How will you recount how this has impacted you and your perceptions?  To achieve this requires us to go beyond today’s reality and enter a “state of visioning.”    It’s also important not to lose sight of the “volume of loss” to honor those who have been lost and those who have lost something important and somehow find strength and knowledge from them.

It’s not the first time Kip has led through crisis.  She knows how to create a safe zone for her team to share their fears while finding ways to confront her own.  Each person on the call was vulnerable but like so many leaders, finding strength from this vulnerability.  Asked for a final word– grateful, inspired, energized, and renewed were among the comments that were volunteered as the conversation came to a close.